This invention relates to a busbar assembly, and includes a support member for a busbar assembly, a method of making a support member for a busbar assembly, a busbar assembly, and a support member and a spacer member for a busbar assembly.
For many years, busbar assemblies have been used in a wide variety of domestic and industrial installations to provide a convenient means to supply relatively high electric currents, such assemblies not only being convenient from an electrical point of view, but also being relatively compact and easily accessible for maintenance purposes.
In view of the relatively high currents (up to 5000 amps, for example) which may be carried by the busbars, various electrical and safety considerations must be taken into account when designing and constructing supports for the current carrying conductors, to prevent cross induction, for example, and to ensure that the overall assembly is sufficiently robust to withstand large thermal and mechanical stresses which may be generated, for example, when short circuit faults occur.
Typically, a number of busbars are aligned generally parallel to each other, with the busbars being held in position by a number of busbar support members extending generally transverse to the axes of the busbars, with the support members being arranged in pairs, such that the busbars are in effect clamped between the upper and lower halves of each pair.
To avoid any risk of short circuits occurring, the supports are typically formed from a non-conductive material such as a thermo-plastics resin, and whilst such materials exhibit good insulating properties, their mechanical strength is often insufficient to withstand the thermal and mechanical stresses referred to above, and separate strengthening devices, typically in the form of metallic cross-braces, are required.
From a purely mechanical viewpoint, such devices operate satisfactorily, but it is necessary to position them extremely carefully to ensure that a safe minimum clearance is maintained between them and the live/earth inlet terminals to avoid any undesired electromagnetic inductance which can be detrimental to the operation of electrical devices to which power is supplied by the busbar assembly.
Moreover, this type of construction can be relatively time consuming in assembly and the need to manufacture specially configured metallic strengthening devices results in undesired increases in production costs.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a support member for a busbar assembly, having a body and a receiving formation adapted to receive part of an electrical conductor, characterised in that the support member is provided with strengthening means formed from a material different from that of the body, and wherein part at least of the strengthening means is located within the body of the support member.
Preferably, substantially the whole of the strengthening means is located within the body of the support member, whereby to maintain the strengthening means insulated from the exterior of the support body.
Thus whilst the body may be formed from a non-electrically conductive material, the strengthening means may be of conductive material, being electrically insulated from the conductor by the body of the support member.
Thus, the body may comprise a plastics moulding and the strengthening means may be enveloped by the plastics material.
Whilst it will be appreciated that a variety of suitable non-electrically conductive plastics materials may be utilised, two particularly suitable materials have been found to be glass fibre filled nylon 66 and glass fibre filled PBT.
The strengthening means is preferably metallic, and conveniently is provided by metallic strip material. The metallic material is preferably non-magnetic, and stainless steel has been found to be a particularly suitable material.
By enveloping the strengthening means within the body of the support member, not only is the support member internally reinforced, thus obviating the requirement of a separate strengthening device, but the amount of thermoplastics material required to mould the body is reduced, thus reducing the associated production costs. Furthermore, by maintaining the metallic strengthening means insulated from the exterior of the support member body, the risk of cross induction occurring between the live conductors is substantially reduced, and thus that the positioning of the support member may be less critical than has previously been the case.
The invention also provides a busbar assembly having a plurality of electrical conductors and a plurality of associated support members, the support members being substantially in accordance with one or more of the preceding paragraphs.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of making a support member for a busbar assembly by moulding a body of the support member from a first material, characterised in that strengthening means formed from a second, different, material is first located within the mould such that part at least of the strengthening means becomes enveloped by the first material upon moulding of the body.
Preferably, the strengthening means is wholly enveloped by the first material upon moulding of the body. Desirably, the body of the support member is moulded from a plastics material, and the strengthening means is preferably provided by a section of metallic strip material. Conveniently, the strengthening means is provided with one or more apertures therein for passage of the moulding material therethrough, whereby the strengthening means becomes securely moulded within the body of the support member. Preferably, the plastics material is glass fibre filled nylon 66 or glass fibre filled PBT, with the strengthening means preferably being provided by a section of stainless steel strip.
A further problem which is encountered with known busbar assemblies is that during their construction, a possibility exists that the nut and bolt arrangements which hold the busbars and support members together will be over-tightened, which can result in excessive stresses being imparted to the assembly, and in particular to the relatively weak thermoplastics supports. As discussed above, such stresses can impair the reliability of the components to which the excessive load has been applied, giving rise to serious safety concerns.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a busbar assembly comprising an electrical conductor and support members therefor, the support members extending generally transversely to the longitudinal axis of the conductor, spacer members being provided between adjacent support members, characterised in that compressible means are located between the spacer members and support members to provide a cushioning effect during attachment of the spacer members and support members to each other.
Preferably, the compressible means are resilient, such that on removal of a load, the compressible means may return exactly or substantially to their pre-loaded condition.
The compressible means may be generally ring-shaped, and are conveniently provided by resilient plastics material, such as neoprene rings.
The spacer members may be provided, adjacent an end thereof, with a shoulder, and the compressible means is located, in use, between the shoulder and the associated support member.
The support members may also be provided with a shoulder, such that the compressible means, in use, are located between the respective shoulders of the spacer members and the support members.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided, in combination, a support member and a spacer member for a busbar assembly, the support member having a body with a passage extending therethrough, the spacer member having a main part and an engagement part, the engagement part being adapted to extend through the passage in the support member, characterised in that the engagement part has a smaller cross-sectional area than the main part such that the main part cannot pass through the passage in the support member.
Preferably, the support member and spacer member are provided with shoulders which face towards each other during attachment of the support member and spacer member to each other.
Conveniently, the shoulders define a space between the support member and spacer member, the space being effective to receive compressible means to provide a cushioning effect during attachment of the support member and spacer member to each other.
The compressible means may be resilient, preferably having a shore hardness in the range 40 to 60, although materials having a shore hardness in the range 20 to 90 may be used. Thus a resilient plastics material may be utilised, conveniently in the form of an annular member such as a butyl rubber ring.
Part of the spacer member may be internally threaded, with the thread preferably extending only part-way along the engagement part.
The invention will now be described by way of example only by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: